Ribbons of Fire and Love
by Nightingale-san
Summary: SonicX: Shadow returns but becomes tragically ill. His soul is splitting apart. Why? Sonic and co. travel to an ancient library to find a cure. There they meet the demon overlord Zartan who wants Shadow. Why? And who is Zaigami the elemental? ShadowxRouge


**Ribbons of Fire and Love**

**Chapter 1**

**Zaigami: Leader of the Elementals**

**A ShadowxRouge fic**

"What's happening to me?" Shadow looked into his miserable reflection into the dark waters of Lake Abyss. It was a dark night and the moon was high in the silver, starry sky yet there was a chilly, wintry wind blowing.

"What is this voice inside of me?" the hedgehog wondered aloud.

"What does it want?"

"What _is _it?"

Shadow frowned and splashed his dark reflection in disgust. He stood up and walked over to a rock where he sat in deep thought.

"_When I returned to that blue hedgehog's world from escaping that explosion………..it just blurted out at me."_

"_**Shadow………we are one……"**_

Said hedgehog erupted in fury and growled at the air, as if the owner of the voice was standing right there.

"Who are you?" Shadow hissed, determined for answers but also tired. All his energy was gone from the Chaos Control teleport.

"_**I……am…… you now……"**_

"Who……are……you?" Shadow hissed again. "Stop fooling around in my mind. Tell me……..who you are….."

"_**It is hard to explain Project Shadow………"**_

"Don't call me that!" the hedgehog snapped. "I am NO project! No one owns me!"

"_**You are so sure of yourself Shadow. And your anger fuels your power. So different to my sister's methods. Yet so similar to mine………"**_

"What!? What did you just say!?" Shadow seethed and gritted his fangs at the unknown foe.

"_**I am Zaigami. Leader of the Elementals……Who are you?"**_

"What……?" Shadow dropped his petrifying expression to one of confusion and shock. "Elementals? What are you? What are……._they_?"

"_**We are………eternal. We are around you………who are you?"**_

"Around me?" Shadow whispered to himself. "Eternal?" He found the term 'elementals' familiar. Long ago. He couldn't recall.

"_**Who are you?"**_

"What?" Shadow growled again. "You already know! Why should I need to tell you!?"

"_**Who……….are……….you?"**_

Shadow hissed at the air realising that to shut him up he would have to tell the voice who he was.

"I'm Shadow," the hedgehog folded his arms and stood up from the rock calmly. "Shadow the hedgehog."

"_**I know 'who' you are Shadow the hedgehog. What I want to know is do 'you' know who you are?"**_

Shadow raised an eyebrow and became silent.

_**"Shadow Of The Day" **_

_**by Linkin Park**___

I close both locks below the window  
I close both blinds and turn away  


"_**Do 'you' know Shadow? Or are you lost? Tell me, where do you originate from? Who is your mother? Father? Siblings?"  
**_

It was beginning to dawn on Shadow and it unnerved him.

He didn't know,

Who he was,

Where he came from,

Where his family was,

Or his friends……….

If he had any…………..

_Sometimes solutions aren't so simple  
Sometimes good bye's the only away_

"_**I see. I've watched you for a long time now Shadow. You've had it hard since day one. When you were created……….long ago………..aboard Space Colony Ark……………Ring any bells?"**_

Shadow suddenly felt himself go numb as the winter air circulated around him.

"_Ark?" _Shadow wondered. _"Created? Am I……….a machine?"_

Chorus  
And the sun will set for you  
The sun will set for you 

"_**No……….you are Shadow, The Ultimate Lifeform. Created by Dr. Gerald Robotnik 50 long years ago for the sole purpose of destroying the human kind………"**_

"_What?" _Shadow asked in his mind. It felt like he was floating in space with all the glittering stars. Indeed, he was. The area was black and splashed with glittering stars that twinkled in the dark abyss. He floated there. His eyes were half closed and his ruby irises were a pale grey.

_And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey_

It was cold. Winter Cold.

He felt something soft, wet and cold hit his nose.

"_**But Maria changed that Shadow………"**_

"Maria……………." Shadow whispered softly to the dark night. "I remember her………and G.U.N. And………her wish……….."

_And the sun will set for you  
End Chorus  
_

"_**That's right Shadow. You must always remember that one sentence. Do you remember?"**_

"Please," Shadow began, "give them a second chance. A chance to be happy," Shadow recited it perfectly in a robotic, hypnotised voice. "That was her wish………wishes are eternal……."

"_**Like me………I am eternal. I am all around you Shadow. And now, we are one. One Shadow, don't forget that."**_

Shadow slowly found himself falling downwards in space. Yet he paid no heed and focused on Zaigami's last words.

_And cards and flowers on your window  
Your friends all plead for you to stay_

"_**Wishes are eternal. 'You' are eternal. I, Zaigami, am eternal. We are one Shadow. Look for me………around you………."**_

"_**Shadow………"**_

"_**Shadow………?"**_

The hedgehog started to drift off into a deep sleep. His eyes were closing slowly around his grey eyes.

"_Eternal…….wishes……" _he whispered and close his eyes…….forever more………………….

"_**Shadow………?"**_

_Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple  
Sometimes good bye's the only way_

Nothing.

"_**Shadow! Damn it! Wake up!"**_

The hedgehog bolted upright sweat lining his temples. His ruby eyes dashed around until they locked onto two other aqua ones that glittered against his vision.

"Shadow? Is it you?" a female voice cooed and he felt a material against his jaw. A glove. It outlined his face and shook it a bit until it retreated back.

"Shadow?" came the voice again, but his vision and mind was blurry. He couldn't make it out, who it was or anything.

_Chorus  
And the sun will set for you  
The sun will set for you  
_

"Shadow! It's me! Rouge!"

Rouge. That name. It was………familiar.

FLASHBACK

"_Shadow!" a feminine voice called. "You came!"_

_They were somewhere in a base. A bomb was set. Shadow had set it. In front of him was a young female bat. Rouge. She was holding two Chaos Emeralds…………_

_And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey  
_

_END FLASHBACK_

Shadow shook his head about wildly. And blinked a couple of times.

He looked around and found himself a sheet of white snow beside Lake Abyss. Then, he saw a familiar bat – girl.

"R-r-Rouge?" he stuttered and sat upright gazing into her aqua orbs.

The seductive bat, dressed in pink and purple winter clothes, smiled at her friend. In comparison to Shadow, Rouge was dressed from head to toe in various woolly clothes with a plump purple scarf wrapped around her neck.

_And the sun will set for you  
_  
_And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey  
_

Shadow watched as the bat pulled him up from the floor and, rather weakly, Shadow stumbled to his feet stretching his arms out for balance. Rouge grabbed onto him to keep him from falling and Shadow looked down at the bat that had latched herself to his arm.

"Shadow?" Rouge asked him, "what are you doing out here? You'll freeze! Better yet, where WERE you!?"

Shadow sighed and hung his head. "I was……thinking……I don't really know……..what you're talking about…….Rouge………"

"Thinking? Don't know what I'm talking about. Oh dear." Rouge sighed.

"Come on, let's go back to my place. I'll fix you up there." she tugged on his arm and dragged him from his feet leading him away south. Shadow did not deny her. He was feeling weak and exhausted. All he wanted was a warm fire and to go to sleep. That was it.

_And the sun will set for you  
_

But he was no longer lost. Physically and mentally. Zaigami………had he really existed. What just happened, did that really happen? To him? If so, then Shadow now knew who he was and he was going home with Rouge. His only thrust worthy friend.

As the bat – girl walked with the freezing hedgehog Shadow found himself groggy and began to slightly lean his head on the bat. This surprised Rouge but when she looked at him she saw the fatigue in his features.

She smiled at him and took off her scarf, wrapping it around the 'Ultimate Lifeform's' neck and pressed on.

Shadow snuggled into it thankfully and muttered a low 'thanks' at Rouge.

He was back. How? Rouge didn't know. All that mattered was that she get him somewhere warm quick so he didn't fall down of weariness or catch a cold.

_And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey_

Suddenly, a loud sneeze, followed by a spluttering cough was heard from the hedgehog beside her.

"_Great," _Rouge sighed to herself. _"Now he's caught a cold. Could things get any worse. First that necklace is gone, and Shadow has a bad cold…….great………just perfect……."_

_And the sun will set for you………….._

'_Rouge the Bat………'_

**Well? What do you guys think? I know kind of short. This is my first Shadow fic and the plot will be revealed later.**

**Please read and review!**


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